


All of My Goodness is Gone With You

by WitchWithWifi



Category: Lost in Space (TV 2018)
Genre: 5+1 trope, F/M, They're such adorable, i love them, oblivious idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 13:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18262331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchWithWifi/pseuds/WitchWithWifi
Summary: 5+1 trope. 5 times Don and Judy didn't kiss (and one time they might).Title from "Shrike" by Hozier.





	All of My Goodness is Gone With You

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like six hours. Someone hold me.  
> Enjoy!

i.            

            Judy was holding her breath, heart thundering in her chest. Her mom had launched the harpoon a second time, toward the scrap piece of metal that her dad and Don were clinging to.  _Please, please, please._ She was clinging Penny's hand, both of their grips painfully tight, and it was almost as bad as when they watched the ship explode that first time. Because she could see them, could see the harpoon rocketing towards them.  _Please_.

            The harpoon clanged against metal. Two men in spacesuits clung to it like a lifeline. In a way, it was.

            “Dad!” Judy and Penny pulled their dad into a tight hug the moment he and Don were safely inside. He wrapped his arms tightly around the girls, kissing the tops of their heads, whispering how much he loved them. Judy felt the tight knot in her chest begin to loosen. He wasn’t stuck, floating aimlessly through space. They would be alright.

            Then, an even more chilling message from Smith, up from the control room. Will had fallen off the ship.

            John didn’t even hesitate in securing his helmet back on. He grabbed the harpoon, and they all stood back as he was once again thrown back into the cold vacuum of space.

            Judy’s heart was pounding. She had one hand laced with Penny’s, and one wrapped against Don’s arm. Don, who hadn’t even taken off his helmet yet.

            It seemed like a lifetime until their dad tumbled back into the ship- with Will held tightly in his arms.

            Judy and Penny let out a choked sort of cry, and ran forward as soon as the doors slid open. Will seemed seconds away from hyperventilating, and Judy made quick work of her brother’s suit, so he could properly put his head between his knees. At Judy’s instruction, Penny wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly while he collected his bearings.

            John leaned back against the wall and let out a heavy exhale.

            A clatter behind Judy reminded her that they weren’t the only people in the room. She turned to see that Don had dropped his helmet to the ground, and was sliding down the wall to sit down. She made her way over to sit next to him.

            If her dad had looked tired, Don looked absolutely  _exhausted_. The bags under his eyes looked like bruises. His eyes themselves were still slightly bloodshot, and puffy. Whether that was from the earlier tears, or a symptom of his exhaustion, she couldn’t tell.

            “Are you okay?” She asked quietly. They were sitting side by side, and she still had to tilt her head up to see him.

            He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. A beat passed. She waited patiently. Penny was quietly talking to Will, calm, soothing. “I think so.” He huffed out a not-laugh. “I’m not clinging to a piece of shrapnel in space anymore, so that’s a bonus.”

            Judy pressed her lips together, suppressing an apology. She was the reason he’d been up there in the first place. However, now was not the time. “What you guys managed to do was incredible.”

            He finally turned his head to meet her eyes, a ghost of his usual confidence appearing. “Yeah?”

            “Yeah. Even with your crying.”          

            Don’s smile was replaced with a look of indignance. “Hey, without these tears, we would still be floating out there in nothingness.”

            “Mm.” Judy hummed noncommittally. After a few moments of comfortable silence, she rolled her shoulders and stood up. “Let’s go, waterworks.” She offered her hand out to him.

            Don grumbled, but took it. “That’s Mr. Waterworks to you, Princess.”

            She smiled, and tugged him down the hall. Checking over her shoulder, she could see Penny beginning to pull Will to his feet as well. “Let’s check on everyone else. The Resolute should be close.”

            She dropped his hand, and they navigated their way through the maze that was the lower level of the Jupiter 2. They had reached the ladder before Judy was able to say, “Thank you, Don.”

            He looked down at her, confused. “For what?”

            “For what you did. For going up there with my dad. Not a lot of other people would have done that.” She blew out a breath. “I know I bullied you into it, and I want to…” Judy paused, looking for the right words. “You guys saved everyone.”

            “Doctor Robinson, are you paying me a  _compliment_?”

            “I’m considering rescinding it.”

            There were crinkles around his eyes when he grinned at her. “Well, as much as I love being everyone’s hero... I didn’t do it for them.”

            Now Judy was the confused one. She had one hand on the ladder, half her body turned away from him, but she dropped it, turning to fully face him. “What do you mean?” Her voice came out quieter than she intended.

            Don’s smile had faded slightly, and there was a more serious look in his eyes when he tilted his head down to meet her gaze. He was dangerously close to invading her personal space bubble, but Judy wasn’t about to protest. “I didn’t do it for everybody else. I know that I was supposed to do the noble thing, or whatever. But I wasn’t thinking of them. I did it because, well-“

            But he was interrupted by unnecessarily loud footsteps and John’s voice calling “Going up?” He was still in his space suit, and had both his and Don’s helmets in hand. He held Don’s out to him, giving him a squinty-eyed, analytical stare as he did. Then his eyes flicked to Judy, who schooled her expression into something completely neutral.

            “Yep.” She hurried up the ladder and was down walking down the hall by the time Don’s head appeared from below. She glanced over her shoulder as he was hoisting himself over the edge, and sent him a small smile. She felt more than gratified when he reflected it back at her.

ii.

            “Your chicken is a freaking ninja.” Judy complained.

            An hour earlier, Don had popped his head into the medbay, all wide, pleading eyes and asking her to help him find his missing chicken. An hour later, they still had no idea where the chicken was, but Don was fresh from the shower after an unfortunate encounter with some oil in the engine room.

            “My hip hurts,” She added as they continued down the hall.

            “You’re the one who fell off that shelf.”

            “You’re the one who made me check up there in the first place.”

            “I can’t help that I’m far too muscle-bound to fit up there,” He said, flexing. Judy rolled her eyes, decidedly  _not_  looking at him as he hammed it up for her.

            “Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was because your head was so big.”

            Don wasn’t put off- he was the only one who could keep up with her in terms of verbal sparring. “That’s because it’s filled with so many facts, Doc.”

            Judy hummed. “In that case, shouldn’t you know why your chicken has decided to play hide-and-seek?”

            “She’s going through her rebellious stage!” Don defended. Judy pursed her lips, but chose not to comment. In the past, pointing out that Debbie was a chicken and not, in fact, a child seemed to have no effect on him. They continued their third lap around the ship, poking their heads into doors, and tapping on boxes that seemed roughly chicken-sized.

            “I could be doing something useful, you know.”

            Don stopped to flash her his trademark smirk. A smirk that should have been irritating. A smirk that should most definitely not have been attractive. “Such as? You seem woefully short on patients at present, Doc.”

            That was true, even as Judy was opening her mouth to refute it. There was nothing to update, no colds to check up on. Not even Debbie had the decency to get a sore wing.

            Truth be told, Judy had enjoyed spending time with him that day. Don could be exhausting, and obnoxious, and impossible to deal with. But over the past few days, she’d noticed a certain depth to him. There was someone who existed beyond the teasing remarks and smug smiles. The way he talked about his friends back home, or how he staunchly avoided the topic of his family. Even John seemed to enjoy his presence, cracking a smile when he and Judy destroyed him at poker one night. Judy wanted to get to know  _that_  person more. She just didn’t know how to reach him.

            “I think the only place left to check is your room.”

            “Judy Robinson, are you trying to invite yourself over to my place?” He was teasing. She knew he was teasing. He was smiling down at her and she was frowning playfully up at him. That’s why she wasn’t clinging to the sound of his voice, looking for that layer of something more that she hoped would be hidden there.

            She fell back on her first line of defense: Humor. “Ah, yes. I’ve been dying to see where all those oil-stained jumpsuits are coming from.”

            “’Fraid that’s a trade secret.”

            She couldn’t help but mirror his sunny expression. It was contagious. “What a shame.”

            They reached his door- the last one in the line of bedrooms, and the only door that was open. It was dark inside.

            Judy ducked in first, fumbling around for the light switch. “You know, Penny and Will might just be hiding he-“

            A loud squawk from the corner of the dark room caused Judy to yelp in surprise, and she stumbled back into Don’s chest.  In an instant, he had an arm around her waist to keep both of them from toppling over.

            “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” The lights came on. Debbie was tucked up in her bed in the corner, rearranging her wings. Don had one hand pressed on the light switch. The other was still pressed against her waist. 

            “I found your chicken.” She offered, pulling away a little so she would look at him better.

            He raised an eyebrow, his gaze briefly flicking over to Debbie. “I can see that.”

            She gave him a cheeky smile, and it wasn’t too long before he was grinning back at her. She found that she like the way his eyes crinkled when he did that. He’d complained that it made him look older, but she would argue the opposite. He looked freer, less burdened by the stress of… well, everything.

            He hadn’t moved. Neither had she. Judy knew that this was where she was supposed to say something snarky, or do something to move away. But she didn’t want to. Don was right there, and the smirk was gone, and his face was open, questioning. He was waiting for her, she realized. Whatever she did, he would follow in kind.

            Judy was a split second away from leaning into what could either be a wonderful or disastrous decision when she heard their names being called from down the hall.

            The moment was broken, and they both stepped back slightly.

            “We should probably see what today’s crisis is.” He said, voice not quite reaching the playful tone it usually was at.

            “Yeah,” She agreed.  _No_ , she thought, as she followed him down the hall, and back around the bend.

iii. 

            “Judy?” Penny stuck her head in her sister’s room. Judy was splayed out on her bed, reading. “Come to the control room. You’re going to want to see this.”

            By the time she and her sister made it out, everyone was already gathered around the comm system. Maureen’s fingers flew across the keys, her eyes flickering quickly between the keyboard and a screen full of code. Will was on his back, underneath the board, fiddling with the wires.

            “Okay,” he announced, sitting up. “I’ve boosted the signal. I think.”

            Maureen smiled at him, and John ruffled his hair as he helped him up. Her dad looked tired, and she could tell her parents had spent yet another sleepless night in here, and judging by the whiteboard her mom had dragged in, made somewhat significant progress.

            “Mom? Care to share with the class?” Judy asked mildly.

            Maureen looked at her daughter in surprise, as if she hadn’t realized that she had company. “Oh. Yes. Um. I  _think_  we were able to boost the signal of the comm system. I hacked into the emergency transmitter, and if we’re in the right spot, there should be enough electromagnetic…” She paused as she took in the glazed-over eyes of her daughters. “Basically, we might be able to contact the Resolute.”

            Judy sucked in a breath. On instinct, she glanced to her left, where she knew Don would be standing, and she saw his lips quirk, ever so slightly. He looked as hopeful as she felt.

            “Well, what are you waiting for?”

            Maureen shrugged. “Nothing, I guess.” Her hands shook slightly as she reached for the transmitter. John placed a calming hand on the small of her back. It was a simple gesture, but one Judy hadn’t seen between her parents in years. She and Penny shared a small smile.

            “This is the Robinsons of the Jupiter Two. We are looking for the Resolute. Over.”

            Static. Maureen bit her lip. Don drifted closer, so he was right at Judy’s side.

            “Try it again.” Will suggested.

            Maureen repeated her message again. And again. After the fifth time with no response, Judy’s heart began to sink.

            Then there was a crackle. Almost indeterminable- they wouldn’t have heard it if they hadn’t already been hyper tuned to every sound coming out of that device.    

            “Was that?”

            “No way.”

            “Mom.”

            “This is the Robinsons of the Jupiter Two. Is anyone out there? Over.”

            Another crackle, louder this time, but still no voice. Like they were just out of range.

            Judy’s heart was pounding. She was gripping Don’s arm like a vise, but he hadn’t protested. Everyone was silent.

            “Is anyone there? Over.”

            A voice, tinny and hard to hear, came over the comm. “Robinsons? Over.”

            Maureen gasped, and Will laughed in delight. “This is the Robinsons of the Jupiter Two. We’re looking for the Resolute, headed to Alpha Centauri. Over.”

            The voice was stronger, now, and it was easy to determine who was speaking. The voice was male, and unmistakable. “Robinsons, this is Hiroki. And Victor. Where are you?”

            Judy’s breath was knocked out of her as Penny turned and hugged her, nearly breaking her ribs with the intensity of the hug. Judy returned it in kind, and stumbled when Will joined in. Maureen began quickly recounting their story- the black hole, the loss of control of the engine, and capture of Smith, while John kissed her temple, and kissed all three kids on the tops of their head.

            Don didn’t join in on the group hug, but instead rested a warm hand on Judy’s back. He leaned down like he was going to say something, and she turned her head to look at him. His face was impossibly close, but he didn’t speak. His eyes flicked up to something beyond her, and then he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. For just a moment. Then he was gone, taking his warmth with him, and Judy was left with her siblings trying to untangle themselves, talking a mile a minute, asking their mom to ask where they were, when they could get back, etc.

            Judy stepped back from the group, gathering herself for a minute. For the first time in weeks, it felt like she could breathe again. She turned, glancing around the room. She didn’t realize what she was looking for until she saw Don sitting on the ramp. He had his elbows propped up on his knees. He jerked his chin at her, and she went over to sit down next to him, bumping their shoulders.

            “Hey.”

            “Hey.”

            “So,” Judy looked at her family. “Guess we’re not so lost anymore.”

            “Guess not.”

            She looked at him. He was still watching the others. “Are you excited to get to Alpha Centauri?”

            She had expected an immediate answer,  _Of course, who wouldn’t be, Smith’s creepy stares get creepier by the day_ , but he seemed to be really mulling over his answer.

            Finally, he said “Yes, and no. Unless I somehow end up dead, seriously injured, or mauled by a bear, I’ll be assigned to the next trip back to Earth to pick up the incoming colonist group.” He didn’t sound sad, or mad about it. Just indifferent. Don West was not an indifferent person.

            “Oh,” Was all Judy could say. She felt silly for asking. Of course he wasn’t going to stay on Alpha Centauri just because the Robinsons were there. He had a job. A life. One that existed outside of them. “That kind of sucks.”

            She felt his shoulders shift with his half laugh. She tilted her head a little more, to face him better, and he looked back at her. His eyes were soft, and he looked so damn small in that moment. His lips were parted, like he was about to say something. Then her family laughed from the side, and Judy jumped, suddenly very aware of where they were- and who they were with.

            No one was watching them, though. They were all still gathered around the transmitter, talking over each other in excitement. It was exhausting just to watch. Almost without thinking, she tilted her head so it could rest on Don’s shoulder. He stilled. She pretended not to notice, and instead fixed her gaze on the stars in front of them. They could see almost everything from the control room, but right then, there was nothing to look at but the millions of tiny pinpricks beyond them, millions of light years away.

            Relaxing slightly, Don rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Yeah,” He agreed with her quietly. “It kind of does.”

iv.

            The Resolute picked them up two days later- which was fantastic because they were almost out of freeze-dried everything, and it was about to get very Hunger-Games in there.

            Their ship connected with their port on the Resolute, and as soon as the doors slid open, Victor Dhar and Hiroki Watanabe were there to usher them to the ship’s clinic, in spite of their numerous protests and claims of being absolutely fine.

            Victor caught them up on what had happened in the past month, and how, after the Robinsons’ Jupiter had disappeared into the black hole, the Resolute had no choice but to speed out of that star system. They’d taken the others to Alpha Centauri, but a chosen few had stayed on, and taken the Resolute back up to try and find them.

            “We’d almost given up hope when we finally received your broadcast.” Victor explained as a doctor looked at Maureen’s leg. She’d been walking so well with the brace; Judy had almost forgotten that she’d hurt it in the first place. “It seems that the black hole took you to- “

            “A parallel galaxy. It was kind of like a loophole.” Maureen finished.

            Judy was sitting on a raised table, patiently allowing a nurse to check her eyes, ears, and throat for any illness. Don was across the room, having already completed his brief exam. He sent her a wink, smiling as the nurse gave her the all-clear. She walked over to join him as Penny took her place on the exam table.           

            “Pass your exam, Doc?”

            “With flying colors. You?”

            He gave her the o.k. sign. “There’s never been a healthier badass princess in the galaxy.”

            In the end, Maureen stayed in the clinic- the doctor wanted x-rays- but the rest of them were free to go. Penny and Will immediately made a break for the cafeteria. John laughed, but declined Judy’s offer to join them in favor of staying with Maureen. Judy promised to bring them food, and in return was rewarded a forehead kiss from both her parents, and exuberant claims that she was officially the best daughter in the universe.

            “Be back soon.” She promised.

            John was looking over her shoulder pointedly at Don, who was leaning against the wall by the door with a seemingly forced air of nonchalance. He looked ridiculous.

            “Don’t want to keep your… friend waiting.” John said, though his tone was almost teasing.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Judy replied primly. She was thankful Don couldn’t see her blush when she reached the doors. He gestured for her to exit first, and followed her down the hall.

            This ship wasn’t much different than their Jupiter in terms of interior. Just a lot of white, metal walls and shining, cold floors. Don’s trademark orange jacked looked laughably bright in the light.

            “Delivery duty?”

            “Yep. They’ll take whatever’s least like ramen.”

            Don laughed. “Boy, do I have some bad news for them.”

            “I think they’ll live.”

            Don hummed in agreement. “Only a few days until we reach Alpha Centauri.”

            That made Judy frown. Only a few days before Don was assigned to another colonist ship, shuttling himself back across the universe again. Away from them. Her.

            “They really love you,” He commented. "Your parents."

            Judy pulled her eyebrows together, but didn’t say anything. She could practically  _feel_  Don thinking, still working out what he wanted to say. She waited.

            They were almost at the cafeteria when he spoke again. “I… I was an accident. My parents were young, and didn’t know how to raise a kid. I don’t think they ever wanted one, but. Well. There I was.” He sighed. “They weren’t awful, but once I turned 18, and moved out, I hardly heard from them. I didn’t even tell them when I got accepted to the Alpha Centauri team. I just took off.” He looked at Judy, and she was taken aback by the intensity in his eyes. “I never had roots. Never really wanted them. But,” He had to stop again. Still searching for the right word. “I just…”

            They were standing outside the doors of the cafeteria. She could see Penny and Will, as well as a few crew members moving around inside.

            “Just?” She didn’t want to push him, didn’t want to upset the… whatever was happening between them. Don was looking through the doors, his expression stormy. Conflicting and unsettled.

            “Let’s get your parents their food,” He said quietly. “They’re probably hungry.”

v.

            Alpha Centauri was, of course, beautiful, if disappointingly Earth-like. There were grassy hills, and clear blue skies. Sure, the clouds were pink, and the water was tinged purple, but overall, Judy’s impression of the planet was Earth, The Sequel.

            As they got closer to the landing strip, and coincidentally, one of the only two cities on the planet as of yet, they started noticing the clusters of Jupiters, spiraling outward from the city center like spokes on a wheel.

            “The 24th colonist group is set up over there,” Victor explained, pointing out the window to a large set up of Jupiters. “Only two miles out from the city.”

            The Robinsons fueled up enough to fly their ship to the designated spot. The ships, upon closer inspection, were pretty well spaced out, but the setup reminded Judy of a neighborhood. They settled on the soft grass next to the Watanabes' ship.

            Judy held her breath as the ramp slowly extended down, landing with a thump on the ground outside. Will was the first off, bounding happily out, with Penny and John following quickly. Maureen moved slower, adjusting to the new brace the Resolute doctors set her up with. 

            Judy and Don were off last. She took a deep breath. The air felt different. Breathable, but sharper. Clearer. She realized it had been a long time since she'd inhaled anything other than recycled oxygen. The grass was almost spongy beneath her feet. Judy bounced up and down once, experimentally. Definitely different. “Soil’s different here,” Don explained, though he was looking out at the people who were beginning to come out of their ships. “And it looks like the welcome wagon has arrived.”

            Hiroki had joined the Robinsons in their descent, while Victor went to land the Resolute. His daughter and granddaughter ran up to hug him, talking over each other in rapid Japanese, though they switched to English to greet the Robinsons. Maureen was delighted to see them. Penny, however, froze when she saw Vijay. Her face turned tomato-red, and she quickly hurried over to where her mother was standing, eyes fixed on the ground.

            Judy tugged on Don’s sleeve and gestured towards her sister. “Can’t wait to see how that plays out.” She murmured.

            Don raised an eyebrow, appraising her. “And here I didn’t have you pegged as a sadist.”

            “I’m not a sadist,” She protested. “It’s practically my duty to laugh at my dear sister’s misfortunes. It’s in the sibling handbook.”

            He just chuckled. She could tell he was relieved, shaking off the stress of the past few weeks with her. “I’ll have to trust you on that one.” He looked down at her, still smiling. She felt the warmth of his smile wash over her, like a ray of sunlight directed just at her. She had to look away, because the look in his eyes was too much. He was looking at her like she was someone special. Like she was…

            “Hey, Judy!” Her dad was waving her over. “Orientation time in the city. C’mon.”

            “Okay!” She called back. Steeling her nerves, she looked back up at Don. “You coming with?”

             His smile faltered. “Probably should. They’re gonna want me at the Resolute station. The clinic cleared me to fly, so they’re gonna want me on the next trip back.”

            Judy pressed her lips together. “Right. I forgot. Well.” She tilted her head towards the others, aiming for an air of nonchalance. “I bet if you ask nicely, we can take our Chariot in to town. I’ll even let you drive.”

            “Yeah? Do I get control of the music, too?”

            Judy scoffed, walking backwards to her dad, keeping her eyes on him. “I don’t trust you that much.”

            In the end, he got two days. Two days before he was supposed to fly back through space to a dying planet, and pick up the next colonizers. Almost a six-month round trip. A trip he had to make again, and again, and again.

            He stayed with the Robinsons for those last 48 hours, collecting his things, and catching up on some much needed sleep. Judy hardly got to see him, because she got called into the hospital less than a day after they landed. Apparently, surviving multiple near-death experiences wasn’t enough to give her a couple of days off before starting work.

            On his last day, Victor pulled up in front of the Robinson's Jupiter, ready to drive him to the landing strip. There was no love lost between the two of them, and Judy figured Victor would take personal pleasure at watching Don being shot up into space again.

            The Robinsons gathered around Don just outside of the door. Will gave him a hug and promised that he would take really good care of Debbie. Penny socked him in the shoulder and told him that when he came back, he’d realize Debbie truly  _did_  like her the best (this had, apparently, been an ongoing argument between the two of them). Maureen pulled him into a hug, and told him to stay safe. “I want to know the minute you get back.” She told him, patting him on the cheek like he was a child. He rolled his eyes and “Yes,  _mom_ , you’ll be the first to hear.”

            John, to Judy’s surprise, gave Don a brief hug, too. “Be smart.”

            He saluted her father with a classic grin. “No promises.”

            “You’re a good man. I look forward to seeing you again.” John patted his shoulder and stepped away, leaving Don looking like he just got slapped in the face. Judy’s heart hurt for him, because she knew his parents had probably never said anything like that to him.

            She was next. The rest of her family had stepped a little farther back, giving her the illusion of privacy as she stood in front of him. He blinked once, refocusing on her.

            “Doctor.”

            “Badass Princess.”

            “Never letting that one go?” His eyes crinkled again and she swallowed back tears, trying to take a mental picture of him, to memorize everything about the way he looked that day. 

            “Never,” She whispered. She stepped forward and hugged him tight. His arms came up to circle around her, and then, too soon, she stepped back. “Fly safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

            He looked down at her fondly. “Now, where would the fun in that be?” He looked up past her, and waved goodbye at the Robinsons. They waved back as Victor beeped the Chariot’s horn.  _Time’s up_.

            Don began walking towards Victor, while the rest of her family began walking back inside. Judy still stood there, rooted to the spot. Watching him walk away.

            “Don!” Her lips moved before her brain caught up. She rushed forward, catching him by the hand, forcing him to turn around. She squeezed her fingers around his, and he directed his surprised stare up from their joined hands to her face. Judy knew she probably sounded hysterical, but right then, she didn’t care. “Don’t go.” She pleaded, holding his gaze steadily.

            His face crumpled at that, and she watched as he closed his eyes for a brief, painful second. He surprised her when he pulled at their joined hands, tugging her closer. He leaned down to press a soft, yet searing kiss to her forehead, and she felt it light up her whole body. A tear slipped down her cheek.

            “See ya, Princess.” He whispered into her hair. Then, he was gone, and she left was alone on the grass.

(+I)

            The 24th Colonist group was invited to a welcoming party in the city. Penny called it a poorly disguised “Sorry you almost died, enjoy some free food” party, but still happily said yes when Vijay asked if she wanted to walk there with him. Judy helped her sister pin up her braids and answered “Yes, you look amazing” about five times in response to Penny’s incessant asking.

            The rest of the Robinsons were going together, putting on their nicest (read: least bloodstained) clothes to show that they were semi-respectable members of society. Judy actually managed to dig out a nice tunic, and Maureen loaned her a pair of clean black leggings and boots. Judy was feeling pretty good when a the computer informed her that there was someone outside.

            “Were we waiting for anyone?” Judy called down the hall. There was no answer. “Sure, thanks for asking, of course I’ll get it.” She sighed, hurrying to the front, and hit the button to slide open the doors, expecting Penny to be there, probably complaining that she forgot her com device. Judy was already preparing a sarcastic comment when the door opened and she saw Don standing outside.

            Judy’s heart stopped. “You’re not Penny.” She said, and then clamped her mouth shut.  _What?_

            It was Don’s turn to look surprised. “Ah. No. I’m not.”

            “I’m sorry, I just,” She let out a nervous laugh. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in deep space right now?”

            He smiled, and her heart melted because he was there, in front of her. “I managed to convince the powers that be that I would be much more useful as a mechanic here than I would be in space.” His smile took on a more smug undertone, but it didn’t bother her as much as it should have. “Plus, I had a pretty good reason to stay.”

            “Oh yeah?” Butterflies were taking flight in her stomach, and she wasn't sure how she was expected to keep standing, keep still, keep doing anything, because Don was  _right there_.

            “Mmhmm. She inspired me to make a very convincing argument.” He stepped closer, into the light. “It was Debbie, of course.”

            Judy huffed. “You ass!”

            “How quickly you forget my royal title.” He shook his head. “Hey,”

            “What?”

            The smugness was gone. “You look beautiful.”

            Heat rushed to her cheeks, and it took all of her willpower not to drop her gaze to the floor. “You’re not so bad yourself.” He really wasn’t. He’d swapped out his trademark orange jacket for what looked like an honest to god  _blazer_ , and neither his shirt beneath, nor his black pants were stained with oil at all. His hair was still wild, impossible to tame, but he’d shaved, leaving only the slightest suggestion of stubble behind. She reached up to touch it, not really thinking. He leaned into her touch.

            “Judy,” His voice had dropped. “I did it for you.”

            “What?”

            “The launching into space. The saving of lives. All of that. I… I wanted you to believe in me. I wanted to be better, to be the man you said I could be. More than who you thought I was.” He was throwing stars at her, and she couldn’t catch them all. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to deserve you. I don’t know if I know how to be that person. But I promise to keep trying for you.”

            “Shh.” Judy couldn’t believe what he was saying, what she was hearing. She placed both of her hands on the sides of his face, and he mirrored her. “You don’t have to deserve me or any of that nonsense.” She smiled, lightly, even though her heart was beating like she had just won a marathon, and her stomach was twisting almost painfully. “Don’t be a different you. Just be you.” She pulled his face down to hers, so that their noses could just barely brush. “I only want you.”

            Don moved then, tilting his head as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. It was just a kiss, but at the same time, it was more than that. It was a way to say the things they didn’t have words to say yet. Judy pushed up on her toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck. One of his hands slid from her cheek to her hair, and he carded his fingers through her curls- for once not held back in a braid or a bun. It was electric, and her brain was overloaded with the knowledge that this was finally happening.

            She would have been happy to stay like that for hours, but breathing quickly became an issue, and she rested back on her heels. Don looked as dazed as she felt, but he was smiling broadly at her. “That, uh, wasn’t what I came here to ask.”

            “Really?”

            He straightened up, tugging on his blazer. “I came to ask if you would like to attend the party with me, Doctor Robinson.” He held out a hand to her.

            Her face was going to split open if she smiled any wider. “I would love to, Badass Princess.”

            She took his hand and called a farewell to her family and pulled him down the ramp quickly, before anyone could catch them.

              Don seemed to hesitate once they reached the ground though, seemingly more focused on staring at her, in the same way she was sure she was looking at him. His skin was gold in the dying light. Those crinkles she adored were back. She tugged his hand, reveling in the fact that his fingers were intertwined with her. It felt natural. Right. "Come on, I want to get there before my parents realize I’ve finally run off with a man with a tattoo.”

            They ran off, laughing, their silhouettes growing long as the orange sun began to set behind them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love them so much.


End file.
